A Mother and A Daughter
by OlafIsLife
Summary: EPILOGUE UPLOADED. Lillian returns the favor after Riley's encouraging words help heal her relationship with her daughter. No pairing, just character development. Takes place after 1x10 "Cain and Gabriel." Rated T for adult themes.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: UPDATE: I've decided to write an epilogue. Stay tuned for more.**

**A/N: I do not own Intelligence.**

* * *

Gabriel and Riley walk into USCC together as they normally do.

"Worst sequels? That's a long list," Riley tells Gabriel.  
"Yeah, but I'm talking about the really bad ones. Like, 'who thought this would be a decent movie' sequel," her partner explains.

Gabriel and Riley walk to the elevator, and latter pushes the button.

"Back to the Future," she says.  
"Which one? Second or third?" Gabriel asks.  
"Both."

_Ding!_ The elevator doors open. They both step in, and Gabriel pushes the floor button. The doors close and they begin to make their way up.

"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," he adds.  
"Ooh," Riley grimaces. She thinks for a moment. "The Next Karate Kid."  
"That was just trying way too hard... the Star Wars prequels."  
"The sad part is that now, kids are watching Episodes I through III before IV through VI," Riley comments.

The elevator doors open, and the two step out.

"Now what kind of parents allow this to even happen?"

They both let out a short chuckle as they walk into the room. Nelson and Jameson are stationed at their desks as the former attempts to make balls of paper into the recycle bin. Lillian enters, and they all turn.

"I guess you never played? Because your form is terrible," she tells Nelson.  
"Oh no, he played, alright," Gabriel informs her while getting intel from the chip. "Yikes."  
"Well we set a record," Nelson says, trying to defend himself.  
"Not the kind anybody puts on a plaque..." Gabriel responds.  
Jameson asks, "What's the record for?"  
"Most consecutive games lost," Gabriel tells him.

They all smile.

"Riley, could I have a word?" Lillian motions towards a conference room.

Riley first grabs one of Nelson's paper balls, backs up, and shoots.

"Show off," Nelson mutters.

Riley follows Lillian to the room. Before they get to the door, Lillian stops.

"I want to thank you. For your advice on my daughter. For 'speaking freely,' as you put it."  
Riley nods, "Of course."  
"So it's my turn to speak freely. If I can solve my problems with my daughter, you can solve your problems with your mother."

Riley's face drops, and she begins to shake her head. She opens her mouth to object, but her superior stops her. Lillian opens the door to the conference room. Riley's 'inner voice' is screaming. What has Lillian done? Riley reluctantly steps into the room and closes the door behind her. She takes a breath and looks up.

"Hi Mom."

* * *

"Riley?"

Riley gives her mother a polite smile. After Riley's parents divorced, her mother took her maiden name again, Ory.** [A/N I'm creative, I know.]**

"Wow," Ms. Ory continues. "It doesn't look like you've changed very much."

But the truth is she has changed... quite a lot actually, since Riley left home. Still, Riley says nothing in reply. She hasn't had a real conversation with her mother in fourteen years. She thought she never would. So the inevitable tears came to her eyes, but Riley still struggles to hold them back.

"Oh, Riley," her mother says, holding her arms open for a hug.

She hesitantly walks into the arms of her mother, the arms that have pushed her away so many times before. And in that moment, Riley is sure that they never will. But that moment comes to an end when those arms feel Riley's holster. And once again, the arms of her mother push away, giving a feeling all too familiar to Riley.

But why does this one hurt so much more? Her mother received a look of confusion.

"Is that a gun?" Riley sighs.  
Oh no. "Yes."  
"Is it loaded?"  
"Yes."  
"Do you... shoot people?"  
"Mom, it's-"  
"Do. You. Shoot. People?"  
"...when necessary. It's part of the job."  
"Has anyone _else_ died from the shots you fired?"

The "else" was emphasized and stabbed at Riley's heart. Her juvenile record keeps coming back to haunt her.

"..."  
"Answer me!"  
"Yes. All when necessary."  
"When necessary?!" Ms. Ory repeats in disgust. "So tell me, Riley, was it necessary to kill Greg?"  
"Your life was at risk. _OUR_ lives were at risk!"  
"Greg loved me! And you just couldn't stand to see me with another man other than your father!"  
"Oh my gosh... You still think he really loved you. Let me tell you, Mom, that I've seen love. True love. And it looks nothing like you and Greg. I'm not saying that you and Dad were perfect, but love is not expressed through the bruises and broken bones. That doesn't show love, Mom. That only shows scars. And you didn't deserve that."  
"He loved me, Riley. Yes, we fought, but he didn't know how to express himself."  
"Oh, he expressed himself alright. But he was sure not expressing love! And that's messed up, Mom. That you still think he really loved you. Because if he did, he wouldn't do those things to you or me. He. Didn't. Love. You."

The mother's once-hugging arm raises up and slaps the daughter on the face. Riley gasps as she is hit, and she looks into the eyes of her mother. It takes all of Riley's might to get through her next two sentences to her mother.

"Maybe I was wrong, that you didn't deserve Greg. Because apparently, you're just like him."

At that, a daughter turns away from her mother, straight towards the door. The tears are impossible to hold back now, as she tries to speed walk past her colleagues to the nearest bathroom. Gabriel, Nelson, Chris, and Lillian all watch her wipe away the tears with her lips pursed and aggressively push the bathroom door open. Gabriel begins to walk towards her, but he is stopped Lillian's hand. Lillian walks into the conference room.

"Karen, I think it's time you leave."  
"You made a mistake with her," Ms. Ory told her.  
"On the contrary, choosing your daughter for this job has been one of the few things I will never regret. She has saved countless lives and put herself in danger for others. She is a smart, strong, and brave agent, and I hope to have her around for a long time. Now, Ms. Ory, you will be escorted out."

Lillian motioned for a security guard and left the room, and she slowly follows Riley into the restroom. She finds the stalls empty, except for one with Riley, from whom she hears quiet sobs. Lillian locks the restroom door to prevent anyone interrupting.

"Riley?"

Riley slowly opens her stall to reveal red eyes and a red cheek. Lillian sighs. These were not her intentions when she called Ms. Ory.

"I'm sorry," Lillian starts.

Riley looks down. "No, don't be. It all makes sense now, why she wouldn't look at me when he was dying, why she didn't come to the trial, why we never keep in touch," Riley looks up. "She still thinks he really loved her. She wanted to marry that guy more than anything. But why, I still don't understand."

"We accept the love we think we deserve, Riley. But nobody deserves that. What you did that night was not selfish. Even at that age, you acted for the greater good."

A small smile shows up on Riley's face as she wipes away the last tear.

"Thanks, Lillian."  
"C'mon, before the boys start a war with those crumpled paper balls."

They both let out a small laugh as a mother and a daughter walk out together.

* * *

**A/N: Let me know what you guys think. I'm really excited for the next episode! Tell your friends to watch because I really want the show to be renewed!**


	2. Epilogue

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the feedback. I really appreciate it.**

**A/N: I don't own Intelligence.**

* * *

Gabriel and Riley are driving home together after a rather long and difficult case. It has been about a week since Riley's encounter with her mother. Riley walks Gabriel to his door.

"You sure you don't want a beer or something?" he asks his partner.  
"Well," Riley starts, and she hears her phone ring.

She pulls her phone out of her pocket. An unrecognized number.

"Excuse me," she says, holding up her phone.

Riley presses the "accept" button and puts the device to her ear.

"Neal."  
"Riley? Is that you?"

She immediately recognizes the voice. The voice that has been echoing in the back of her head since that day. Gabriel sees her face change and gives her a questioning look.

"Yeah, it's me. Hold on a sec."

Riley puts the phone against her shoulder and turns to Gabriel.

"I have to go. We'll talk in the morning," she tells him.  
"Okay." he nods, smiling.

Riley was not expecting him to be able to close the door on her so easily. She narrows her eyes.

"Do you know something I don't?" she asks.

He shrugs and shakes his head with that smile.

"Good night, Riley."

Gabriel closes his door as Riley puts the phone back to her ear and starts walking to her place.

"I'm here."  
"Good."  
"How did you get my number?" Riley asks. With her jobs, she never kept the same number for longer than a year.  
"A little birdy told me."

Gabriel.

"Look," her mother continued, "I know we didn't leave on good terms."  
"That's a bit of an understatement, Mom," Riley tells her, subconsciously rubbing her hand against her cheek.  
"Yes, I know. And I'm sorry, I really am... Look, I had this whole thing rehearsed and prepped, so if you could try to not interrupt?"

This reminds her of the mother she knows and truly loves. Riley smiles at this and unlocks her door.

"Okay," she agrees.  
"Thanks. So a few days ago, I got a call from your partner, Gabriel. He's quite the gentleman, by the way. Well, anyway, he... _encouraged_ me to talk to you and gave me your number.  
"So I've been thinking a lot about what you said, about not deserving Greg and what he did. And you're right, that _you_ didn't deserve that. But _I_ did, for letting him do that to you. Why did I let him do that to you? Why would he- W-Why did I-?"

Riley thinks of her conversation with Lillian.

"We accept the love we think we deserve," Riley tells her mother, echoing her words.  
"Mom, it's not just about me, it's about you. You're not worthless. You deserve better than Greg. That's why you broke up with Dad, right? You knew he wasn't giving you enough attention. You knew there was someone out there who would.  
"And I don't mean to keep prying into your relationships, but I think you just settled for Greg. You deserve better."  
"_You_ deserve better. I'm sorry I let those things happen to you. I don't know how to make it up to you... I-I just-"  
"Mom. I don't _care_ about _Greg_. The only thing I've _ever_ wanted to deserve is _your_ love."  
"Oh, Riley," Ms. Ory says, crying now. "You don't need to do anything to deserve my love. I will _always_ love you."

"Really?"  
"Really."

And from that point in the night, a mother and a daughter are reunited.

* * *

They talk for nearly an hour.

"Okay, Riley. It's late. I think I'm going to turn in. This was good."  
"Yeah, it was... But Mom? This job I have, it is the most dangerous job I've ever had. And there are a lot of bad people with bad intentions. They are nasty and cruel, and I can't give them something to get to me."  
"What is this job, Riley? ...And if it's so dangerous, why don't you just quit?" Ms. Ory asks her daughter.

She doesn't understand.

"The less you know, the better. Trust me," Riley tells her, looking out her window to Gabriel looking up at her.  
"I can't quit. Because this is the best job for me, and I'm happy.  
"But about the bad people? If I keep calling you, they will find you. And with these people, they won't stop because you ask nicely."

Riley hears a sigh over the phone. She just got her mother back, and it feels like she's losing her again.

"Mom, this isn't goodbye, not like the last time I said goodbye. I promise, we'll keep in touch."

Riley hears another breath, almost a laugh.

"How did you become the strong and smart woman I always wanted to be for you? Where does that come from?"  
"It comes from you, Mom," Riley tells her, smiling.

"I love you," her mother says.  
"I love you, too."  
"You thank that Gabriel for the words of wisdom. I'm glad he called me."  
"Me, too. I will," she says, looking at Gabriel's smirk from the window.  
"Bye."

Riley hangs up and wipes the tears from her eyes.

A mother and a daughter part ways once again, but this time, the tears shed are of joy.

* * *

Riley starts to walk towards her bedroom to get ready to go to bed, but her phone rings again.

Gabriel.

Riley walks back to the window where she has a clear view of him.

"Were you eavesdropping?"  
"No."

She gives him a look.

"I didn't! I promised I wouldn't use the chip on you, remember?"  
"Yeah, I believe you..."

There is a pause.

"Thanks, Gabriel, for calling her."  
"My pleasure."  
"What did you tell her, anyway?"  
"Agent Riley Neal, that is classified information that I am _not_ permitted to share."  
"Never?"  
"_Never_," he confirms.

Riley sighs in defeat.

"Good night, Gabriel."  
"Good night, Riley."

They both walk away from their prospective windows and turn off their lights.

One day, several years later, when they believe they will part ways, Gabriel will expose the "classified information." Until that day, what causes Karen Ory to finally call her daughter goes unknown. But it doesn't matter, not to Riley.

Reason is not required for the love between a mother and a daughter.

* * *

**A/N: That's the end! Hope you all enjoyed. Any feedback is good feedback! I'm also looking for prompts for a new story.  
**

**A/N: And let me know what you guys thought of "The Event Horizon" - I can't believe they pulled a "To Be Continued" on us! I'm SO pumped for the season finale. Tell your friends to watch so CBS doesn't cancel on us!  
**

**A/N: Slightly off topic, but today I realized that the actor that plays Jameson, Michael Rady, plays "Kostas" in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. No wonder I didn't recognize him at first, he doesn't have that Greek accent! haha**


End file.
